Erin and I looking defiant on Mt Defiance.
I recently hiked Mt Defiance with my friend Erin and the folks at Hoplite. This trail has the reputation of being the hardest in the Gorge, but evaluations like that tend to be pretty subjective. We took the Starvation Creek trail up and ran down on the Defiance trail. I’ve found that running down a trail is easier on my knees.
When we got back to the parking lot, I said to myself , That trail’s difficulty is way hyped up. It wasn’t that bad. The next morning, when I tried to limp my way to the bathroom, I realized that the previous day’s endorphins must have been interfering with proper brain function. Mt Defiance was, in fact, pretty hard. We went a slow pace, and I’d like to try it out again moving faster.
Fortunately or unfortunately (I haven’t quite decided yet), I will get that chance. My hiking partner, Erin, wants us to do “The Triple D” in July. This means that we will do Mt Defiance, Dog Mtn, and Devil’s Rest all in one day. According to Katie Dill’s blog, this route totals 24.2 miles and 10,250 ft of elevation gain. Whew. Makes me tired just thinking about it.
I’m beginning to regret picking a marathon runner for a hiking partner. I have about three weeks to train, which is good because I’ll need every minute of it. I’ll let you know if Erin has to drag my body down the mountain after I pass out.
